Fosse

Sam Wasson / 2013

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, Inc / 9780547553290

A great book on the slinky dance master and one that takes a decidedly
different slant than the previous biography, All His Jazz, which I also
wholeheartedly recommend. I think you need to read both books, just as you need
to speak to more than one person to get an idea of someone's personality.

This particular book has the unusual concept of counting down Fosse's life with each
chapter, which I found a little unnerving. As you begin with "Sixty" you know exactly
where you're headed. By the time you reach "Twenty" and then "Ten," you start trying to
find a comfortable position. When you hit "One Hour and Fifty-Three Minutes" you begin
noticing your own clock ticking, and I -- for one -- did not find that a good feeling.

Look, we all knew going in that Bob was going to die. He'd been courting death for years... even
used it as a gimmick in his own semi-autobiographical movie, "All That Jazz." Was there really
any need to try to out-creep us by counting down the minutes to his last heart attack... on the street?
With his head resting in Gwen Verdon's lap?


dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2.4 in / weight: 2.2 lb / volume: 736 pages


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